When Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury was published in 2004, the book was the first to describe the dramatic rise of the world’s finest luxury company. Written with full access to the company’s archives, it demonstrates Louis Vuitton’s passion for fine design with a stunning array of archival art, product designs, and cutting-edge advertising. The company is examined through the lives of its first three leaders - founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk), his son Georges, and his grandson Gaston.

Now with fresh information on subjects such as designs for ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, jewellery, and even automobiles, this new edition includes 20 additional pages and updated material throughout the book, covering the brand’s recent history, with new texts and photographs.

About the Author:

Paul Gerard Pasols is the former director of communications for Louis Vuitton and a longtime consultant to the company. He was editorial director of Louis Vuitton City Guide 2004, New York, which is a finalist in the "best guide" category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. The author of the updated sections is all at once journalist, traveller, and lover of all things beautiful. Pierre Leonforte has been editor in chief of City Guides Louis Vuitton since their creation in 1998. He collaborates on numerous French and Italian publications including Les Echos, Vogue and Maison Francaise. He is also the author of guidebooks and lifestyle books appearing in France, Germany, and Britain.

He is the author of Abrams's Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks.

Trains and steamships transformed transportation in the mid-19th century and opened the world to a new breed of traveller. Louis Vuitton understood the need for more practical luggage, and strove to create products that were adaptable to all situations - and the travel trunk was born.

Authors Pierre Léonforte and Éric Pujalet-Plaà curate 100 of the finest trunks the Louis Vuitton company has produced on commission, including boxes made for movie stars from Douglas Fairbanks to Sharon Stone and couturiers from Jeanne Lanvin to Karl Lagerfeld, as well as cases designed for Ernest Hemingway, Leopold Stokowski, and Damien Hirst. Illustrated with 600 images taken from the Louis Vuitton archives and new photographs made especially for this book, this is the definitive history of personalized objects of both practicality and luxury.

About the authors:

Patrick-Louis Vuitton directs custom workshop production and handles public relations for the company founded by his great-grandfather.

Pierre Léonforte has been contributing to Maison Louis Vuitton for many years and is currently the editor in chief of the City Guide Vuitton series.

Éric Pujalet-Plaà is assistant curator of fashion and textiles at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.